Live discussion: The future of the Health and Care Voluntary Sector Strategic Partnership Programme

This live discussion on the future of the Health and Care Voluntary Sector Strategic Partnership Programme (HCVSSP Programme) forms part of the VCSE Review and took place on 17 September 2015.

Background

The Health and Care Voluntary Sector Strategic Partnership Programme invests in VCSE organisations working at a national level, by enabling them to work in equal partnership with the Department of Health (DH), NHS England and Public Health England (PHE).

It allows each organisation to demonstrate leadership and innovation, to reflect the views of their members and networks and support the development of knowledge and capability in the sector to engage in the wider health and social care reform agenda.

Discussion points

This discussion was focussed around two key aspects of the HCVSSP Programme.

• How we can ensure that strategic partners are representative of the wider sector. This will includes questions about the number of strategic partners, whether they can be consortia or just individual organisations and ensuring a good spread of thematic and geographical expertise.
• How strategic partners, once selected, can best act as a conduit for the views of the wider sector. This covers issues such as effective communication, accountability and transparency.

Panellists

Howard Chapman, Department of Health

Howard works in the Department of Health’s Voluntary Sector Partnership Team, ensuring that the potential of voluntary sector organisations to improve health and wellbeing outcomes is realised. This includes management of the HCVSSP Programme and working in close partnership with 22 Health and Care Voluntary Sector Strategic Partners to ensure that the voice of the voluntary sector is able to influence health and care policy development.

Jabeer Butt, Race Equality Foundation

Jabeer is deputy chief executive at the Race Equality Foundation where he has gained an international reputation for the use of evidence in developing interventions that help overcome discrimination and disadvantage. He leads the work of the foundation to increase the use of evidence in developing better health and housing support, as well as the foundation’s work on better engagement of the third sector by the Department of Health’s strategic partners programme.

Questions and answers

You can see all of the questions and comments from the live discussion in the comment section below. Feel free to add your own comments now if you have them.